Sorceress - Claudia Gray

Began reading: 22.5.2015
Completed reading: 30.5.2015
Overall rating: 3.5 stars

The One Beneath finally has Nadia in His grasp, with Elizabeth as Nadia’s teacher. Elizabeth’s plans to bring the One Beneath to the mortal world have begun to take effect — with heavy downpours causing dangerous floods. In order to save the locals of Captive’s Sound, Nadia must feign loyalty to Elizabeth and the One Beneath; but she can feel the dark magic beginning to overwhelm her. Abandoning everyone she loves, Nadia is faced with temptations regarding the powers she could gain from becoming a Sorceress. Conflicting emotions torment Verlaine whenever she is with Asa; does he truly care for her, or is it just a ruse? It is up to Nadia and her friends to struggle against temptations; will Team Not Evil triumph over evil, or will the darkness overshadow the goodness in Nadia and her friends forever?

Sorceress by Claudia Gray is the third and final book in the Spellcaster series. Just like the first two novels, it is a young adult novel that contains fantasy and paranormal themes, with a hint of romance. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this novel as much as Spellcaster and Steadfast; however, there were still some aspects of this book that I liked.

Firstly, there was good use of humour and sarcasm, which made the story a lot more entertaining. For example, in a serious moment: “Verlaine jotted in her notebook, The meeting came to a standstill for a romantic interlude” (p. 271). I would have liked the series a lot more if there was further use of humour and sarcasm.

                                          

The ending of the book was bitter-sweet, which I loved. I was so glad when Verlaine got her happy ending — she really deserved it. On the downside, the ending seemed rushed, which was obvious in the various spelling mistakes. I was really disappointed with how the series ended. It was just a letdown, especially after the heightened interest from Steadfast.

 

The final battle in the book was something I was looking forward to. Throughout the series, the final battle with Elizabeth and the One Beneath was something I really anticipated. Unfortunately, it was confusing, anticlimactic and utterly boring. It was rushed, and nothing really happened. *WARNING: SPOILER* Basically, Nadia goes into hell and stabs the One Beneath. It was just so simple. If it was that simple all along, why didn’t it happen sooner? It was just really disappointing.

                   

The entire plot lacked enthusiasm and I found it difficult to stay interested. The fact that this was the final book of the series is the main reason that kept me reading. Sorceress would have to be the book that I enjoyed least out of the entire series. I wasn’t even able to take many notes because I was just so confused and lost.

                   

The relationship between Verlaine and Asa was the best part of the book. I just couldn’t stop reading about them! They are so adorable and they became my favourite couple in the series. They were so dedicated to each other! “Asa had gone to hell for her; she would do the same for him” (p. 269).

                                                       

I was also happy that Verlaine made a more prominent role in this novel. As I said before, I just really loved reading about her and Asa! Their relationship was an emotional rollercoaster: they had to try to kill each other, but couldn’t. It can’t get any more emotionally conflicting than that.

                                       

I didn’t enjoy reading about Nadia’s relationship with Mateo in this novel. It felt all over the place and confusing. *WARNING: SPOILER* However, I did enjoy reading about the oaths that Nadia and Mateo made to the One Beneath. That was interesting, and quite the plot twist!

                 

Time for recommendations! If you like “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, then you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes “Witches of East End” by Melissa de la Cruz.

I suggest reading the first novella before this novel, The First Midnight. It will provide more background information about how Elizabeth turned into the villain. I also recommend reading the first and second books, Spellcaster and Steadfast, in the Spellcaster series. You can see my reviews for these novels by clicking on the titles.

Happy reading!

Buy the book: http://www.bookdepository.com/Sorceress-Claudia-Gray/9780732296216

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Steadfast - Claudia Gray

Began reading: 11.5.2015

Completed reading: 18.5.2015

Overall rating: 4.2 stars

Following the catastrophic events on Halloween night, Nadia and her friends had thought the dark one that is Elizabeth was defeated and destroyed. This was not the case — if anything, Elizabeth’s power had worsened. Now, ‘illness’ has spread and demons roam around Captive’s Sound. The curse on Nadia’s boyfriend, Mateo, has intensified, no longer restricted to when he’s asleep. The One Beneath has summoned Nadia to join Elizabeth on the dark side, and Nadia is finding more difficult to resist. Along with Mateo and Verlaine, Nadia must figure out what is causing the mysterious ‘illness’ striking innocent locals one by one, as well as what Elizabeth really has planned for the One Beneath.   

Steadfast by Claudia Gray is the second novel in the Spellcaster series. It is a young adult novel that contains fantasy and paranormal themes, with a hint of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book — maybe more than the first novel.

                     

The novel was well-written, which I expected after reading Spellcaster. From the first sentence: “Nearly every gravestone in the cemetery of Captive’s Sound made a promise about forever” (p. 1), I was hooked. There were just so many good quotes.

                        

This novel was definitely an emotional rollercoaster, especially with Verlaine’s experiences. I loved it!

No one would ever, ever care about her… She was going to spend the rest of her life on the outside looking in. This horrible, clawing loneliness inside her, the thing she battled every single day…

The loneliness was going to win (p. 118).

One moment, I was on the verge of tears, and the next, I was longing for her to kiss her significant other. Unfortunately, the first novel was not like this. I just love when books are emotional roller coasters.

                      

The characters were far more interesting than in the first novel. There were appearances by new characters, which made the plot so much more interesting. An anti hero was also introduced, and I couldn’t help falling for him.

                      

*WARNING: SPOILER* Speaking of characters, I don’t understand how the witch/hairdresser in Spellcaster, Ginger, didn’t even get a mention in the second novel. Apparently, it was a big deal when Nadia found out about Ginger’s powers. Yet, when everything gets serious in this novel, no one bothers to mention her.

                     

Diversity was applied in this story, just like it did in Spellcaster. This time, prejudice against different religions was the focal point. It is always the same character that holds these prejudices, and I can’t help but think, can she please be killed off already?

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Like Spellcaster, there were too many perspectives, and many just seemed unnecessary. For example, Kendall Bender’s experience of applying makeup to her comatose sister. I mean, really?

                        

Nadia remains to be my favourite character. In this novel, she is braver and willing to sacrifice for her friends. Similarly, Verlaine remains to be my second favourite character. Their friendship has seriously improved in this novel, which makes the story more interesting. Verlaine is also classier, sassier, and played a more central role.

                        

My favourite part of the book would be the Verlaine’s section of the epilogue. I was so glad that Verlaine was able to get some happiness and romance in her life. *WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* I think it was great that the guy was someone that she had been attracted to all along, but also wasn’t (you’ll understand when you read the book).

                       

Recommendation time! If you like “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, then you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes “Witches of East End” by Melissa de la Cruz.

I suggest reading the first novella before this novel, The First Midnight. It will provide more background information about how a witch turned into the villain. I will also be reviewing the next two book, Sorceress. Keep an eye out for that!

Happy reading!

Buy the book: http://www.bookdepository.com/Steadfast-Claudia-Gray/9780061961236

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Spellcaster - Claudia Gray

Began reading: 4.5.2015

Completed reading: 10.5.2015

Overall rating: 4 stars

Too many painful memories have forced Nadia’s family to move from Chicago to Captive’s Sound, a gloomy and dull town that contains powerful magic — slowly destroying everyone and everything. As a descendant of witches, Nadia fears that the magic affecting Captive’s Sound is significantly darker and potent than her own. Following a car accident, Nadia realises that her rescuer and friend is the individual that is affected most by the strange magic. Mateo and his ancestors have been cursed, causing visions and ultimately, death. After a series of unexplainable events, Nadia and Mateo must work together to overcome forces that keep them apart, and whatever is set to destroy Captive’s Sound.

I really enjoyed this novel! I’m not much of a fan when it comes to supernatural stories, especially after Twilight, but Spellcaster challenged my prejudice. This novel is a young adult paranormal fiction, with a hint of romance.

The book had an interesting plot. I haven’t read any novels that focus around witches and witchcraft, so this book was refreshing. The novel also explained the differences between the Craft and Wicca. In addition, there is a section where a character rejects racism, and one character has two dads. This use of diversity in a novel is great! These contemporary distinctions are not commonly found in novels, so it was great to see.

                  

Furthermore, when I think about witches and witchcraft, I imagine strange spells and really weird ingredients. That was not the case in this book. There were some gruesome ingredients in a couple of spells, but they were required for evil spells so I guess they don’t really count. An example of a spell is:

The love of a child.

A living thing rising from the earth.

Hope through grief (p. 218).

These ingredients are accompanied by memories, which I thought was a great way to change perceptions of witchcraft.

                   

Plot twists played a big role in this novel, which was awesome! I especially loved how the villain was viewed as sweet and innocent, then became the subject of hatred. I was definitely not expecting that one!

                   

Unfortunately, the story seemed to be a bit disjointed. The ending was sudden, and the epilogue quickly followed. The epilogue did not explain anything about the ending. I don’t understand how everyone in Captive’s Sound could just move on after the town was almost destroyed. With this in mind, I suppose the story will continue in the second novel, Steadfast, so I will get into that book asap.

                   

 The book was also a bit repetitive. *WARNING: SPOILER* Nadia kept saying how having a guy as a steadfast was impossible. I mean, yes, I get it. You don’t need to keep reiterating it! Also, she kept going on about how the villain was totally unexpected. Yes, we get it. We didn’t expect it either, but can we please move on?

Another thing that let the book down was that there were far too many perspectives. We had Nadia’s, Mateo’s, Verlaine’s, Elizabeth’s, and a few others, including a bird’s. Um… ok? For example:

They saw two girls walking together along the street, one’s hair was black and one’s nearly white, one short and one tall… (p. 75).

I understand that it made the novel better-rounded, but some perspectives just seemed unnecessary. 

                 

I loved Nadia’s character the most, because she’s the witch. Obviously, she would be the coolest. She is caring, law-abiding, curious and brave, but she was also full of sarcasm. I felt for her when she explored her memories of her mother. 

He was worrying about the monsters less and less now. Maybe he was finally back to being a normal little kid. She hoped so. He deserved it. Mom had taken enough away from her and Dad — it wasn’t right if she took away Cole’s ability to feel safe ever again (p. 158).

She was a bit clueless when it came to her feelings with Mateo though, haha!

Nadia turned to him then. “You have… friends now. You have us. You know that, right?”

What she really wanted to say was, You have me (p. 181).

Verlaine was my second favourite. She is the cool loner, as she wears awesome thrift store clothes and has silver hair. She is an average teenager: sarcastic, smart, humorous and loyal. I loved her character so much that I created her on the Sims!

                    

They even have their own Twitter accounts! Check them out!

Nadia Caldani: @nadia_caldani

Verlaine Laughton: @verlaine_riffic

Mateo Perez: @CabotMateo

In my opinion, the friendship between Nadia and Verlaine was probably the best thing out of the entire book. I can’t wait to see how that progresses in the next book!

                   

I suggest reading the first novella before this novel, The First Midnight. It will provide more background information about how a witch turned into the villain. I will also be reviewing the next two books, Steadfast and Sorceress. Keep an eye out for those!

Recommendation time! If you like “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes “Witches of East End” by Melissa de la Cruz. 

Happy reading!

Buy the book: http://www.bookdepository.com/Spellcaster-Claudia-Gray/9780062264381

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The Last Concubine - Lesley Downer

Began reading: 25.4.2015

Completed reading: 3.5.2015

Overall rating: 3.9 stars

At the age of fifteen, Sachi — an adopted daughter of the village’s headman — is chosen by the princess to accompany her in the women’s palace in Edo. The palace is home to three thousand women and one man — the shogun. It is there where Sachi finds herself surrounded by deception and jealous rivalries. These issues are heightened when the princess chooses Sachi to become the shogun’s concubine. After a series of disasters, including an outburst of civil war, Sachi and her friends are forced to leave the palace. An encounter with a rebel warrior brings forth many feelings that Sachi had no idea she could feel; but this is a time where passion and love are inexcusable. Before Sachi can imagine a life with him, she must discover her origins — a secret that includes mistakes that have the potential to destroy her.

The Last Concubine is another historical fiction novel that encompasses Japanese culture and romance. I purchased this book shortly after reading Downer’s other novel, The Courtesan and the Samurai, and I was not disappointed. However, I must warn you, there is a lot of gory material. Overall, I really enjoyed the novel.

The novel was well-written, with good use of descriptive language and philosophical thoughts. I think that this is what kept me intrigued, as it seemed reminiscent of ancient Japanese culture. Here are some examples:

…the pine trees so tall and dark, soaring upwards, the bowl of the sky so blue that it seemed close enough to touch, far closer than the pale mountains that shimmered on the horizon (p. 16).

She was on the edge of an abyss, hanging on for all she was worth. She dared not look down or she would fall for ever (p. 140).

Truly, life was nothing but a series of goodbyes, of meeting people and growing close to them, only to be torn apart again (p. 313).

Life was but the flutter of a sparrow’s wings, a momentary flicker. Everything changed; all things passed away (p. 521).

The plot was simple, as it focused on a girl who rose from a low social class, only to fall in love with someone who was forbidden to her. The idea of not really knowing who Sachi’s biological parents are is what prevents the plot from becoming predictable. It was also great to find out about Sachi’s parents through various plot twists, which kept me glued to the book.

                   

I had realised halfway through the book that Downer had intertwined characters from this book into her other novel, The Courtesan and the Samurai, which was great. I was able to learn the history of some characters, as well as their outcome after the civil war. For example, in this novel, we learn that Admiral Enomoto became some sort of government official for the imperial army. I also enjoyed learning about Fuyu’s history, and how she became the pawnbroker’s mistress and how her character came across Hana in the other novel.

                       

The epilogue was very helpful. I found out what happened to all the characters in the novel, including the princess and Yuki. Unlike Downer’s other novel, I wasn’t left with unanswered questions or wondering about what happened to particular characters.

The only issue that I had was that the novel seemed slow-paced. It really focused a lot on Sachi’s travelling experiences, which bored me a little bit. It would have been great if Downer had extended Sachi’s experiences in the women’s palace, or her experiences with the shogun. The book is 611 pages long, but Sachi’s time in the women’s palace seemed to only take up about 20%.

                      

My favourite character was Sachi, as she was fierce, down-to-earth, curious, adventurous and confident throughout the novel. I really related to her, as she had been described as having a child-like personality. My second favourite would have to be Taki, Sachi’s maid and best friend.

It was a comfort to know that in this vast palace full of women whispering and plotting behind her back, there was one person she could trust completely (p. 118-119).

My favourite part of the novel was learning about Sachi’s life as a concubine, however brief it was. As I mentioned before, it would have been great if the novel had focused more on that part of Sachi’s story.

                       

I highly recommend Downer’s other novel, The Courtesan and the Samurai. My review can be found here. If you enjoyed “Memoires of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes “The Valley of Amazement” by Amy Tan, and “The Pagoda Tree” by Claire Scobie.

Happy reading!

Buy the book: http://www.bookdepository.com/Last-Concubine-Lesley-Downer/9780552155205

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